VICTORIA will be out to restore pride at this season's Australian Country Cricket Championships.
That's the message from new coach Jason Mathers, after the Vics won just two games at last season's carnival, held at Geelong in January.
"We finished last at a home carnival, which was not ideal,'' Mathers said.
"But we've reinvigorated the way we've conducted selection this year, made a few changes.''
The selection process is already well under way for Victoria's 13-man team to travel to next year's ACCC, at Bundaberg, Queensland, in January.
Mathers, also Cricket Victoria's regional manager for South East Country, and his panel of selectors, have travelled statewide to identify the best country cricketers for the Vics' Bundaberg campaign.
"We were in Geelong on the first Sunday in October, then Traralgon, the MCG and Benalla,'' he said.
"It gave the players a chance to see what we were doing without having to travel too far.''
Mathers said the selection overhaul had boosted interest from players.
"In previous years, we haven't had a heap (of players) to choose from, but this year we've got 48 quality country cricketers to choose from.
"It's going to be really difficult to pick the final 13.
"We're going to play two games side by side at Seymour on November 18 and then the selectors will sit down after that and announce the side.
"There's new and old (faces), but I don't think we've had this much depth of talent for a long time _ you couldn't ask for more."
